The basic design of the bicycle has progressed little during the last thirty years. Most bicycles are driven by a chain which connects a crank wheel (also called a chain wheel or a sprocket wheel) to the hub of a wheel of the bicycle (usually the rear wheel). The crank wheel or chain wheel is rotated by a rotary pedalling action by the rider of the bicycle, who sits astride the bicycle in an essentially upright position.
Among recent developments in bicycles are lever propelled cycles and cycles propelled by a rowing action (sometimes in conjunction with another propulsion mechanism). For example, lever propelled bicycles are featured in the specifications of
(a) U.S. Pat. No. 3,834,733 (to Trevor L. Harris); PA0 (b) U.S. Pat. No. 3,913,945 (to Marion A. Clark); PA0 (c) U.S. Pat. No. 4,117,915 (to Timothy Tung Jen Young); PA0 (d) U.S. Pat. No. 4,666,173 (to Garnard E. Graham:; and PA0 (e) Australian patent No. 577,702 (to Alenax Corporation). PA0 a) a pair of second rotatable members mounted coaxially with the first rotatable member and connected to said first axle by an arrangement which permits rotation with said first axle in one direction of rotation but free movement about said first axle in the opposite direction of rotation, each second rotatable member comprising either a sprocket wheel or a drum; PA0 b) a pair of pendulums, each pendulum having an upper end and a lower end and being mounted at or near the upper end thereof for rotation about a second axle mounted on said frame remote from said first axle, the lower end of each pendulum being moveable in an arc from a rearward position to a forward position; PA0 c) a pair of chains (if the second rotatable members are sprocket wheels) or cables (if the second rotatable members are drums), each said chain passing partly around and engaging with the sprocket teeth of a respective one of said sprocket wheels or each said cable passing at least partly around the outer surface of a respective one of said drums and being connected thereto, one end of each said chain or cable being connected to a respective one of said pendulums at a point between said second axle and said lower end of the pendulum, whereby movement of the lower end of each pendulum from its rearward position to its forward position causes its associated chain or cable to be pulled around, and thereby rotate, its respective sprocket wheel or drum, to rotate said first axle and hence said first rotatable member; and PA0 d) biasing means associated with each said chain or each said drum, for biasing its associated chain or drum in the opposite direction to the direction of movement thereof which causes rotation of said first axle, and hence for biasing its associated pendulum to its rearward position. PA0 a) a pair of second rotatable members mounted coaxially with the first rotatable member and connected to said first axle by an arrangement which permits rotation with said first axle in one direction of rotation but free movement about said first axle in the opposite direction of rotation, each second rotatable member comprising either a sprocket wheel or a drum; PA0 b) a hand-moveable lever having an upper end and a lower end, said lever being mounted on a second axle supported on said frame remote from said first axle, said lever being rotatable about said second axle in a substantially vertical plane between a first position in which said upper end is in a forward position and a second position in which said upper end is in a rearward position; said lever having first and second connection points thereon; PA0 c) a pair of chains (if the second rotatable members are sprocket wheels) or cables (if the second rotatable members are drums), each said chain passing partly around and engaging with the sprocket teeth of a respective one of said sprocket wheels or each said cable passing at least partly around the outer surface of a respective one of said drums and being connected thereto, one end of each said chain or cable being connected to a respective one of said connection points, whereby movement of said lever from said first position to said second position causes one of said chains of cables to be pulled around, and thereby rotate, its respective sprocket wheel or drum, to rotate said first axle and hence said first rotatable member, and movement of said lever from said second position to said first position causes the other of said chains or cables to be pulled around, and thereby rotate, its respective sprocket wheel or drum, to rotate said first axle and hence said first rotatable member; and PA0 d) biasing means associated with each said chain or each said drum, for biasing its associated chain or drum in the opposite direction to the direction of movement thereof which causes rotation of said first axle.
Among the bicycles propelled by rowing are the "ROWCYCLE" produced by Rowcycle Corporation of Fresno, Calif., and the cycle featured in the specification of U.S. Pat. No. 4,147,370 (to Ben Lindsey Jr).
An exercise bicycle utilizing both a rowing and a circular pedalling action is described in UK patent publication No. GB-A-2151562 (of UK patent application No. 8415700 to Antonio G. Zarco). The specification of Australian patent No. 574,588 (to Y Wu) describes a dual system bicycle propelled by conventional rotary pedalling assisted by an up and down movement of a handle device which is also used to steer the bicycle.
A "rowing" exercise cycle is described by Robert L. Sink in the specification of his U.S. Pat. No. 3,895,825. With that equipment, rotation of the rear wheel of the exercise cycle is achieved by the oscillatory movement of a driving column by the user's hands and feet.
With the exception of the "ROWCYCLE" (which is a tricycle), these prior art cycles all require the operator to sit astride the cycle in a conventional manner. The "ROWCYCLE" operator can adopt a reclined position-as can the operator of the combined hand-pedalled and foot-pedalled, front wheel driven bicycle described in the specification of U.S. Pat. No. 3,910,599 (to John C. Thomas).